Vehicle gate



Dec. 11, 1923.

J. W GIBBONS VEHICLE GATE Filed June 14. 1922 2 Shrets-Sheet 1 aw (in INVEN TOR.

W. Gibbon/s A TTORNE Y Dec. 11, 1923.

J. W. GIBBONS VEHICLE GATE Filed June 14, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet zINVENTOR. John W. Gibboius BYQ ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. GIBBO'NS, OF MEBGED FALLS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0TIMOTHY CARLON, OF LA GRANGE, CALIFORNIA.

VEHICLE GATE.

Application filed June 14, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. GIBBoNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Merced Falls, county of Merced, State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Gates; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisapplication.

This invention relates to improvements in road-gates, and particularlyto a type adapted to be interposed in a fence-line running across theroads leading through farms and similar enclosed areas, and from whichit is either desired to exclude livestock, or prevent their wanderingtherefrom.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a gate structureadapted to be automatically opened by the'weight of an oncoming vehicle,particularly an automobile, and. which will be also automatically closedwhen the vehicle has moved beyond the gate, thereby eliminating thenecessity of the occupants ofthe vehicle dismounting therefrom tomanipulate the gate.

The gate may also be arranged to be opened by horse-drawn vehicles aswell as automobiles, and in either case is absolutely positive inaction.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the gate, closed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View of certain of the co-operatingand movable parts of the structure.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section 'of one of the weight units.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modi' fled form of gate structure.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes two pairs of posts, each Serial No.568,314.

pair being longitudinally spaced with re spect to the road, and spacedtransversely of the road with respect to each other. These posts aresurmounted and connected by a cap 2.

Slidable between each pair of posts and extending therebetween is arigid bar 3, preferably circular, on which is hung, between the posts,the gate or closure structure t extending from the bar to the ground,made of link-chain forming a net, which will han vertically and yet foldup into a small space when the bar 3 is lowered, a small transversetrough 5 being cut in the road under the net to receive the same whenthe bar is lowered.

The bar is normally held raised by means of counterweights 6, from eachpair of which a cable 7- passes. around pulleys 7 supported by the posts1 and thence around a pulley 3 on the cross bar 3. The counterweightsare preferably guided by and concealed in, vertically disposed tubes 8,mounted alongside the outer faces of the posts.

Additional weights 6 are supported in the tubes 8 above the weights 6,these being orificed to allow the cables to pass freely therethrough,and are positioned to be engaged and raised by the main weights 6 whenthe gate has been lowered a predetermined distance.

By reason of this'feature, the lowering of the gate from this point ontakes place more gradually than before, owing to the increase in weightthus had which offsets to a certain extent the weight of the vehicletendingto cause the gate to be lowered with a rush..

Laid on the ground inwardly of the posts and extending longitudinally ofthe road for.

a certain distance on each side of the posts are trough or channelmembers 9, spaced apart so as to receive the wheels of a vehicletherein, which are about all of a standard gauge.- Hinged in thesechannels adjacent their outer ends and adapted to lie therein are otherchannels 10 and 11, independent of each other, to and under the freeends of which are secured fiat bars 12 and 13 respectively which projectbeyond the channels and rest on rollers 14 provided on the bar 3, andproject therebeyond. Preferably, one bar 12 is provided on each channel10, and two on each channel 11, which two straddle the single bar, asshown in Fig. 1.

Hinged in each channel 10 adjacent its lower and hinged end is anotherchannel 15, which projects beyond the posts 1, having cross bar means 16hearing against the "face of the farthest These channels 15 are normallyheld so that their bar l6 is above the bar 3 (thus providing additionalgate means above the main gate) by reason of said channels resting onrollers 17, projecting from and fixed to the ends of the bars 13 (seeFig. 2).

The counterweights 6 are of course of sufficient weight to not onlysupport the netgate or curtain, but also the weight of the channelmembers resting on the bar 3.

In operatiom'a vehicle is driven toward the structure from either end sothat its wheels will ride in the channels 9. Any further movement of thevehicle then causes its front wheels to enter and throw their weightonto the adjacent channels 10 or 11, which causes the same to belowered, at the same time lowering the bar 3 and curtain 1-, which foldsdown into its trough 5. The opposite channels will oi course be loweredat the same time, dropping by i since the supporting bar 3 is loweredthere under.

The channels 10 and 11 will then lie horizontally in the main channels9, providing a flat and obstructed path for the passage of the vehiclewheels thereover.

At the same time,-tlie channels 15 are of course also lowered, since theupper end of the bars 14:, which normally support the same, are loweredfrom thereunder, and the channels 15 then drop of their own weight.

When the channel structure'is completely flattened v out by the weightof the car thereon (which will be almostas soon as the front wheelsstrike the channels 10 or 11) the channels 15 bridge the distancebetween the adjacent ends of the channels 10 and 11, thus providingcontinuous wheelengaging or'track means from one end of the'structure tothe other.

When the rear wheels of the vehicle leave the further channels 10 or.11, and the weight of the vehicle isremoved therefrom the gate and.channels at once raise to their normal position, due to the act-ionofthe counterweights.

The structure as shown is particularly adapted for use with motorvehicles, which have but very little projection ahead of their wheels.

For horse drawn .vehicles however, in which the length of the animalsisahead ofthe wheels, additional channel-extension as shown at 18 inFig. 1, would be pr0- vided b'eyondthe channels 10 and 11 and wouldnormally set at an angle and bear thereon. above their hinged ends, sothat the channels 10 'andll would be depressed when the wheels ofthe'vehicle struck the farther end of the extensions 18, so that thegate would open by the time the animals arrive at that point.

In the type of device shown in Fig. ii, the main features have beenretained, but the auxiliary channels and the upper cross bar have beenreplaced by a her if) slidable between the s and also through op posedslotted ar 2 pivoted onto the ad- "acen; ends at the channels Ill, orthere abouts.

The slotted arms, with. the cross bar hcll therebetween, are suppo tedby the gate crossbar b means oi drm'nwardly projecting extensions on thearms 20. which rest at all times on said bar. These exlcnsions are soangled with respect to the aim; to which they are scrurcd ihat the bar#l is lowered. the. a l lIQMlriQ lowered. the bar 19 lower u the samelime by rev.- son of its own Wei 1, unt l when the tracks or channelslie horizon on the main channels 9, the arms 20 also he horimutallralongside the mum.

is the bar 3 is raised, the arms 20 are raised also, the cross bar Inbeing): o l' cou se forced upwardly therewith.

From the toregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a. device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of: the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to se cure by Letters Patent. is

1. A vehicle gate comprising a rigid bar arranged for guided verticalmovement, a 'foldable curtain structure depending from the bar, meansacting to hold the bar raised, and track means for the wheels o t avehicle flexibly mounted adjacent the ground bcyond the curtain, andextending on both sides thereof, the upper ends of said track meanscrossing each other and resting on the bar, and an auxiliary trackmember hinged to one of said track members and projecting beyond theupper end of the other track means and being normally supported thereby.

2..A vehicle gate comprising a rigid bar arranged for guided verticalmovement, a. toldable curtain structure depending from the bar, meansacting to hold the bar raised, track means for the transversely spacedwheels of a vehicle flexibly mounted adjacent the ground beyond thecurtain and on both sides thereof. the upper end of said tracks crossingeach other and resting on the bar, auxiliary track members hinged incorresponding ones of the first named tracks and extending beyond theupper ends of the other pair of first named tracks and being normallysupported thereby, and a bar connecting said auxiliary tracks in a planeabove the first named bar.

3. A. vehicle gate includin a rigid bar arranged for vertical guidedmovement, a closure member suspended thereunder, means acting to holdthe bar raised, means for lowering the same, an auxiliary cross barspaced above the first named bar when the latter is raised, and meanswhereby as said first named bar is lowered the auxiliary bar will belowered also and through a greater distance in the same period of time.

4:. A vehicle gate including a rigid bar arranged for vertical guidedmovement, a

closure member suspended thereunder, means acting to hold the barraised, means for lovvering the same, an auxiliary cross bar spacedabove the first named bar when the latter is raised, and meanssupporting said auxiliary bar from the gate-bar, whereby as the latteris lowered the auxiliary bar will be lowered also.

5. A vehicle gate including a rigid bar arranged for vertical guidedmovement, a closure member suspended thereunder, means acting to holdthe bar raised, means for lowering the same, an auxiliary cross barspaced above the first named bar when the latter is raised, meanssupporting said auxiliary bar from the main gate-bar, and means wherebyvertical movement of the gate bar will cause a relatively greatermovement of the auxiliary bar.

6. A vehicle gate including a rigid bar arranged for vertical guidedmovement, a closure member suspended thereunder, means acting to holdthe bar raised, means for lowering the same, an auxiliary cross barspaced above the first named bar when the latter is raised, and meanscontrolled by the lowering of the gate-bar for causing the auxiliary barto be lowered to the level of the gate bar when the latter reaches itslowermost position.

7. A vehicle gate comprising a rigid bar arranged for vertical guidedmovement, a closure member suspended therefrom, means acting to hold thebar raised, and tracks for the wheels of a vehicle hinged adjacent theground beyond and on both sides of the closure member, the upper ends ofsaid tracks resting on the bar, and the upper end of one track beinghorizontally forked while the adjacent end of the complementary track isnarrowed to seat between the forks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN W. GIBBONS.

